"Maruzen, why did you say that?"
"I could hardly tell them you were Kitahara, could I?"
Back in the car, Maruzensky spread her hands with an innocent look.
"You do know what kind of reputation you have out there now, right?"
She had a point. That really was not something they could reveal.
In terms of fame alone, after sweeping victory after victory and becoming the center of attention, Kitahara was probably even better known than Rudolf.
If his identity were exposed now, the race might not even be able to continue.
"...You could at least have said I was a relative."
"Someone might actually believe that."
Maruzensky shrugged.
"If I said you were my relative, people might genuinely take it seriously. This way, everyone knows I'm joking. Unless..."
"You would rather I called you 'Kitahara-tan'?"
Silence.
Then came a sigh.
"I'll take being your kept boy."
"Tsk."
Kitahara heard Maruzensky click her tongue and raised an eyebrow.
This old woman sure is picky...
"Kitahara-tan, are you thinking something rude?"
"...Why do all of you act like you can read minds?"
"Your expression makes it obvious."
Strictly speaking, Kitahara was not actually qualified to race here.
He did not have a driver's license.
Although he was supposedly an adult, he had been too busy lately to take the test.
Even that supposed adulthood was somewhat dubious.
But whether it was against the rules was not the important part.
The important part was that everyone who came here to race had a license and was an adult. Every one of them was older than him.
If Maruzensky really started calling him "Kitahara-tan," he had no doubt everyone else would follow suit.
Just imagining it gave him a headache.
Then, amid Maruzensky's teasing, the race began.
There was not much to say about the result.
The drivers here were all among the best in racing.
But compared to Kitahara, they were still a little lacking.
Especially when the car in his hands was Maruzensky's modified supercar.
The only incident worth mentioning was that one of the racers had an accident during the race and nearly went flying off the track.
Kitahara leaped out, pulled the driver from the car, then jumped back into his own and finished the race.
Taking first place while he was at it.
It was not as if he had been recklessly risking his life.
Leaving aside how many contingencies were hidden in that barely-there system of his...
After repeatedly mare-jumping and letting the power inside him swell, he had reached his current state.
He still could not compare to overpowered monsters like Eclipse and Shanish, but in terms of raw physical ability alone, he was more Umamusume than the Umamusume themselves.
Combined with his terrifying bodily control and capacity for learning...
Leaping out of a car to rescue someone was hardly difficult.
...
After the race, Kitahara did not return to the academy.
There was still someone he needed to meet.
Sirius Symboli.
Although Rudolf had greater fame and authority than Sirius, she was also the Student Council President.
Aside from her heavy workload, there were many matters she could not conveniently involve herself in. If anyone discovered her participation, it could cause trouble.
So any off-campus work requiring assistance from the Symboli Family had always been handled by Sirius.
That included, but was not limited to, gathering intelligence, investigating the Black Market, and managing public opinion...
In short, Sirius had helped him a great deal, and the two had spent a fair amount of time together.
As for where they were meeting...
The Symboli Estate.
Kitahara was not particularly eager to visit the Symboli Family, but at present, it did seem relatively safe.
Besides, this was not his first visit. The first visit had felt unfamiliar, but by the second, he was already getting used to the place.
"Well? Rudolf said exactly what I told you she would, didn't she?"
Inside Sirius's room at the Symboli Estate, Sirius looked at Kitahara with open amusement.
"...How did you know?"
"Because I know her well. Even if she didn't say it today, she definitely would have tomorrow or the day after."
Studying Kitahara's face, Sirius continued,
"So, what have you decided about what I mentioned last time?"
"...What did you mention?"
"Don't play dumb."
Sirius rose and walked over to Kitahara. Planting both hands on the table before him, she stared directly into his eyes.
"The Symboli Family has helped you this much. You owe us something in return, don't you? You should know I had to spend a great deal of money and call in plenty of favors to obtain that information for you..."
"And all I'm asking for is you."
"Well..."
Kitahara looked awkward.
At his reaction, Sirius sneered and lifted her shirt.
A pale pink pattern was visible on her lower abdomen.
"Or are you saying you don't intend to take responsibility for this?"
When the energy inside Kitahara had erupted before, he had experimented with it on her and Maruzensky while staying away from campus.
The brand had not appeared during the experiment itself. But later, while they were together, the unstable energy inside Kitahara erupted again.
Combined with what had accumulated before, the two forces resonated with each other, and both she and Maruzensky ended up affected.
Yes, Maruzensky had one too. Her clothing simply covered it completely.
The reason Kitahara had made time to come out and meet the two of them despite how busy he was today was not only to discuss matters involving the Black Market.
It was also because of this.
"...I'll think of something."
Kitahara forced out an answer.
"You'll think of jack—"
Sirius barely managed to swallow the curse and slammed a hand down on the table.
"Anyway, either you agree today, or you're not leaving the Symboli Estate."
Maruzensky remained silent nearby, watching the scene with great interest.
Sirius really did like him.
Although Sirius seemed extremely aggressive toward Kitahara, Maruzensky knew her well enough to understand that she only acted this way around people she truly cared about.
How did that saying go again?
Everyone who came out of the Symboli Family had something a little wrong with them.
Rudolf went without saying. She was much better now, but Maruzensky had witnessed all her embarrassing behavior and awkward personality in the past.
Snapping at her mother, snapping at her classmates, thinking far too highly of herself, chuunibyou tendencies, and a streak of violence...
It was fortunate Tokai Teio had never seen Rudolf back then. Her image of her idol would have shattered long ago.
Sirius was another kind entirely.
Perhaps because she wanted to oppose Rudolf, Sirius behaved with impeccable courtesy around outsiders no matter what happened.
Strong, composed, dependable, and even somewhat masculine—like some dashing pretty boy...
But in private, especially when she was around someone she cared about, she was nothing like that.
Most obviously, who kept a rigid expression on their face every moment of their private life?
As for everything else...
She was surprisingly feminine and domestically capable, an excellent cook, and very good at taking care of people. But sometimes she could be strangely clumsy, especially where feelings were concerned...
Like now. From the smallest details of her movements, it was obvious she was actually panicking.
She liked Kitahara very much, but she had no idea how to express it, nor whether her current approach was right.
Even if it was wrong, she did not know what else to do. She had already committed herself and could no longer back down.
Maruzensky found it fascinating.
She had never seen Sirius like this before.
But what interested her even more was why Sirius had fallen for Kitahara in the first place.
As far as she knew, Sirius was no hopeless romantic, nor did she fall for people easily.
And it had nothing to do with the brand. Maruzensky had realized Sirius had feelings for Kitahara long before she received it.
What had caused it...?
Maruzensky was very curious.
On the other side, Sirius stared directly into Kitahara's eyes.
The hands braced against the table trembled faintly.
Just as Maruzensky had thought, Sirius did not fall for people easily.
Unless that person had given her hope during the darkest period of her life.
When she was a child, when she had despaired of the Symboli Family, when everything about her had been eclipsed by that damned Emperor...
Only that person had continued to believe in her, to help her, and to offer her the first trace of goodwill she had ever known.
Like white moonlight piercing through the darkness.
She had wanted so desperately to seize him.
She had wanted so desperately to touch him.
Yet because of that damned Luna, because Sirius had not been good enough, even the possibility of touching him had been taken away by that damned old woman.
Worse still, after obtaining the very thing Sirius had longed for but could never have, that Emperor had cast it aside without so much as a glance.
That was why Sirius could tolerate anyone else.
Anyone except Rudolf.
Fortunately, another chance had now appeared.
After speaking with that damned old woman, the thing she had thought lost forever had appeared before her once more.
She knew what that old woman intended.
She simply wanted to use Sirius to form a connection with Kitahara.
But Sirius did not care.
If it was him, she was willing to be used.
"So..."
She looked at him, her expression earnest and her voice trembling slightly.
"How about staying here tonight?"
---
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